Aldebaran
by duskglow
Summary: Luna sometimes comes to the Astronomy Tower, because her mum had always told her that Aldebaran was her star. A companion fic (NOT a songfic) to "Aldebaran" by Enya.


Disclaimer: Not Rowling, not making money.

Note: Please read this while listening to "Aldebaran" by Enya. That is the song I had in mind while writing this.

Luna sat in the Astronomy Tower. There were no lights, and the sky was inky black, with millions of little pinpricks of light, each one a roaring nuclear furnace, different colored holes in the blackness of the firmament. The cool air of the evening caressed her cheek, the trees of the forbidden forest being nothing but another shade of black against the horizon. Every now and then would come a hoot, or a call, or something else that was better left in the forest.

Luna stared at the stars.

She saw Aldebaran.

She remembered when she was young, and her mother would sit on the roof of their oddly shaped house, stars of all sorts of different colors and sizes. Her mother would tell her the name of each star, sometimes making up stories of fanciful creatures that lived on planets orbiting the stars. She taught her about Sirius, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse, Orion, and countless other stars spotting the heavens with their beauty. But, her mother told her, Aldebaran was her star. Of all the stars in the night sky, she said, this star is yours.

And as she watched the stars, she heard them sing – a song of joy, yet tinged with loss, a song of love, yet tinged with sorrow, a song of beauty, yet tinged with ugliness, with corruption. She knew the song well, now. It was the song of the stars. The red stars, the blue stars, the white stars, the yellow stars – all singing in harmony, a song of love, a song of pain.

And then her mother died. Luna had been her mother's life, and she wondered sometimes how she managed to get through each day knowing she was gone and would never come back.

"Mummy?", she whispered, and a tear threatened. "Mummy, are you there?"

She heard rustling behind her, and someone sat gently next to her. She did not look at her companion, but she knew who it was. She could smell him – like broomsticks, and sandalwood. It was a very comforting smell. He knew she would be here, tonight.

He wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into him.

He fondled her hair, and the tears started to flow. Deep, wracking sobs, the kind that speak of deep indescribable pain, and loss. He knew not to speak, but he was with her with each sob, burying his face in her hair as the tears flowed out of her silver eyes, glinting in the starlight, and down her alabaster cheeks, finally splashing on the cold stone floor.

When she was done, he tenderly wiped her eyes, and she snuggled in deeply.

"Mummy, I miss you", she said. And for just a moment, the star flickered. She smiled.

"I found friends, mummy. I found my Harry. And I found Hermione, and they are being nice to me now. I hope you are happy where you are, mummy."

A soft, almost ethereal voice whispered in hear heart. "I am always here, my dear."

They both stared up at the darkness, Aldebaran glimmering, shooting stars falling like brief, bright tears.

Harry watched the stars with Luna.

She said "My mummy told me Aldebaran was my star. Sometimes I come up here and watch all the stars, but Aldebaran is my star. I wish... I could talk to my mummy again."

"You loved her, didn't you?"

Luna sighed. "So much, Harry Potter. So much. And she loved me. I miss her so much."

Harry just held her.

"Do you suppose the stars cry too?", he asked.

She stared into the inky blackness, the warmth of his body contrasting with the breeze as it filtered through her hair. Then she turned to him, eyes glimmering, reflecting starlight.

"I think everything cries, Harry Potter. I don't think it was supposed to be like this."

"What do you mean?", he asked, genuinely curious.

"The stars die, Harry Potter. They die like everything else. I think, perhaps, everything that is aware enough to cry, eventually does. Death hurts too much"

Harry was thoughtful. "Why do you suppose we are here, Luna?"

Her lower lip trembled just a little. "I don't know, Harry Potter. I wish I did. Perhaps we are here to love. Perhaps what is loved does not die, not truly. Perhaps..." her voice broke. "Perhaps I am only wishing."

She squeezed her tighter, and she burrowed in deeper, savouring his warmth.

As they both watched the stars, each for their own reason, they felt the faintest whisper on their hearts. A whisper of timelessness, a whisper of perfect love, a whisper of that which they always knew but never hoped for. A tender caress from the stuff of the Universe itself. They both smiled. It was words – the song of the stars finally had words.

For in their hearts, they had heard six words. And it was enough.

"I am. And I love you."

She mouthed the words "Thank you" and felt a smile in her heart, the star-song still resonating in her heart.

With a peaceful smile on her face, Luna fell asleep.

Harry did not let her go, continuing to stroke her hair as she dozed peacefully. She knew her creator loved her. She knew her mummy had loved her. She knew her Harry loved her. That was enough.

Aldebaran continued shining, as did all of the other beautiful stars in the black velvet sky, over the beautiful friendship that continued to blossom in the turret of the astronomy tower. And the stars continued to sing their song of love.

Eventually, the sky would turn pale orange, then red, then orange, then blue, and the sun would appear in regal splendor, announcing to the world that daytime had come, but a part of the hearts of both Luna and Harry, from then on, would always be on that tower, watching Aldebaran, and listening to the song of the stars.


End file.
